CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare has earned the WorldatWork's Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP) Work-Life Seal of Distinction. This designation recognizes employers, in both the private and public sector, who demonstrate leadership in workplace strategies and practices to help employees achieve success in work-life effectiveness. Northwestern Memorial was among 66 organizations nationwide to earn the seal of distinction. The award recognizes work-life initiatives at both Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital.

"At Northwestern Memorial, we strive to create a supportive environment that allows for balance of professional and personal responsibilities for all of our employees," said Dean L. Manheimer, senior vice president of human resources at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. "The Work-Life Seal of Distinction reflects our commitment to work-life initiatives and highlights the many workplace policies, programs, and practices that support our working families."

To receive the Work-Life Seal of Distinction, applicants were evaluated on the breadth and depth of their work-life portfolio and provided evidence of their support in seven areas spanning dependent care, health and wellness, workplace flexibility, financial support for economic security, paid and unpaid time off, community involvement and efforts to transform organizational culture. Specific examples at Northwestern Memorial and Northwestern Lake Forest include:

Support for working mothers including onsite new parenting classes; a robust maternity leave program; lactation rooms; and a state-of-the-art, newly expanded onsite child care center

Flexible work schedules

Community involvement and volunteer opportunities

To learn more about Northwestern Memorial HealthCare efforts that support employee work-life integration, visit our website.

About Northwestern Medicine®Northwestern Medicine® is the collaboration between Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine around a strategic vision to transform the future of healthcare. It encompasses the research, teaching and patient care activities of the academic medical center. Sharing a commitment to superior quality, academic excellence and patient safety, the organizations within Northwestern Medicine comprise more than 9,000 clinical and administrative staff, 3,100 medical and science faculty and 700 students. The entities involved in Northwestern Medicine remain separate organizations. Northwestern Medicine is a trademark of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and is used by Northwestern University.

About Northwestern Memorial HospitalNorthwestern Memorial is one of the country's premier academic medical center hospitals and is the primary teaching hospital of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Along with its Prentice Women's Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry, the hospital has 1,705 affiliated physicians and 6,769 employees. Northwestern Memorial is recognized for providing exemplary patient care and state-of-the art advancements in the areas of cardiovascular care; women's health; oncology; neurology and neurosurgery; solid organ and soft tissue transplants and orthopaedics.

Northwestern Memorial has nursing Magnet Status, the nation's highest recognition for patient care and nursing excellence. Northwestern Memorial ranks 6th in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report 2013-14 Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals. The hospital is recognized in 14 of 16 clinical specialties rated by U.S. News and is No. 1 in Illinois and Chicago in U.S. News' 2013-14 state and metro rankings, respectively. For 14 years running, Northwestern Memorial has been rated among the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" guide by Working Mother magazine. The hospital is a recipient of the prestigious National Quality Health Care Award and has been chosen by Chicagoans as the Consumer Choice according to the National Research Corporation's annual survey for 15 consecutive years.

About Northwestern Lake Forest HospitalNorthwestern Lake Forest Hospital is a wholly owned entity of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. The hospital has more than 700 physicians board-certified in 90 medical specialties, located at its Lake Forest and Grayslake campuses and at facilities in Glenview, Gurnee-Brookside, Gurnee-Tower Court, Libertyville, Lindenhurst and Vernon Hills. Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is ranked among Illinois' "Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report. It has been named the Consumer Choice hospital in Lake and Kenosha counties for nine years in a row by National Research Corporation and receives an "A" Hospital Safety Score from the nonprofit Leapfrog Group. Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is a Magnet hospital, having earned the country's highest recognition for patient care and nursing and is rated among the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" guide by Working Mother magazine. For more information, visit lfh.org.